CHICAGO (KMOX) - Former St. Louis Cardinals and current Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will be managing against his former team for the first time in his career. The Cardinals and White Sox begin a three-game series on Monday in Chicago.
Both teams are currently leading their respective divisions, but are a combined 1-5 since Friday (Cards lost two of three to Cubs. White Sox swept by Yankees). But La Russa sounded eager to face is old club.
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“I think it’s the common-sense stuff, it’s you recognize the birds with the bat,” La Russa said Sunday, according to the Associated Press. “There are guys there, several guys that were teammates, but they’re guys in the coaching staff that I know really well.”
Let's take look at some of those familiar faces:
Yadier Molina – Drafted in 2000 when La Russa was manager. Played for him in St. Louis from 2004-11.
Adam Wainwright – Traded for in 2003 from the Braves. Played for La Russa from 2005-11.
Mike Shildt – Joined the Cardinals organization in 2004 and rose the ranks under La Russa.
La Russa had some particularly nice things to say about Shildt on Sunday:
"Mike was a teammate starting in 2000 through 2004. Mike Shildt came in the organization in player development and over the years watched him grow, minor league manager of the year. And really, really impressed. No surprise that he’s successful as a manager because you watched him go from rookie to A ball and so forth, Double-A won the championship. He has a knack of guys responding to his leadership."
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TLR has 2,754 career wins as a manager – third-most in MLB history. With nine more wins, he'll tie John McGraw for second all-time, but will need about 1,000 more to catch Connie Mack for No. 1.
He managed the Cardinals from 1996-2011, reaching the playoffs nine times and winning two World Series championships. St. Louis is the only MLB club he hasn't managed against – until Monday night.
La Russa does have one MLB at bat against them, which came when he was with the Oakland Athletics in 1971. He's 0-1 with a strikeout.
Monday night, it'll be Kwang Hyun Kim on the mound to face Lance Lynn for the White Sox. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. and you can hear it on KMOX.
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